Just a few years ago, drones were considered the kind of niche gadget that was the preserve of a handful of dedicated enthusiasts. However, as more and more affordable models became available, curious photographers inspired by Gaspard-Félix Tournachon and Edward Burtynsky, could finally find their way into the seemingly esoteric world of drone photography. The result has been an explosion in the number of aerial images taken on radio-controlled models such as the DJI Spark, DJI Mavic Pro, Yuneec Typhoon H or the DJI Phantom 4, and have been used in a number of areas, including wedding photography, videography and landscape photography.

As is the case with much of photography’s recent evolution, leaps in drone photography technology have levelled the playing field between amateurs and professionals, particularly now that some models are capable of capturing 4k images. Looking through the swathes of drone images out there, you’ll be hard-pressed to make the distinction. While drone photographers such as Anders Andersson have steadily built a career out of creating stunning images, anyone with just a cursory interest in the technology can now get out there and create vertigo-inducing shots. We take a look at some of the best drone photographs from our Photocrowd photographers.